April Fools’ Day is a clear opportunity for brands to try on new voices and earn some attention. Like any jokes, the best stunts are rooted in truth – and they can even illuminate RTBs, brand values, and audience insights.
Subaru teased fans by announcing Forager Granola, listed as containing organic compost, ‘adventure sandals’, and (potentially) dog hair. So what? Though the activation pokes fun at consumer stereotypes, it’s cushioned by the brand throwing itself into the line of fire (plus the fact that these “crunchy” labels are often worn as badges of honor).
JaM Cellars, best known as makers of Butter chardonnay, introduced ButterGummies – wine bottle-shaped confections that boast a 14% ABV, the equivalent of a glass of wine per gummy or a bottle per tin. While the product
has only been produced in a small batch as a gag, fans have been begging the winery to make them a reality. So what? JaM gets to enjoy a few angles of benefit here – on one hand, they poke fun at the cannabis edibles category & culture (i.e. combining gummies with a workout), and on the other they can safely gauge their fans’ interest and reactions to the hypothetical venture for future executions.
Several brands played with unexpected spiciness – an April Fools’ staple – in their social media to both commemorate the holiday and their offerings’ charms. Sauce juggernaut Lee Kum Kee unveiled Sriracha Milk last week and even went as far as to issue a press release touting the fictitious beverage’s “spicy yet soothing” profile. Meanwhile, OnlyFans dropped a (not actually) NSFW hot sauce, reminding fans that while there is plenty of tame content on the platform, that’s not what it was made for.
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Battery’s mission is to create impactful advertising with a philosophy that merges classic marketing principles with Hollywood storytelling and a Silicon Valley work model. The agency has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Fastest Growing Private Companies in L.A. three years in a row and celebrated by Ad Age as an Agency of the Year in 2018, 2016 and 2015. A lead creative agency of the Paris-based Havas Group, Battery has offices in Hollywood, Toronto and Shanghai and creates global advertising campaigns for forward-thinking clients.